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The FAU Owls (3-4, 2-1 AAC) and Charlotte 49ers (2-5, 1-2) meet Friday at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the FAU vs. Charlotte odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Owls appeared to be turning a corner with back-to-back wins over Tulsa and South Florida, including a 56-14 win in Tampa against the rival Bulls on Oct. 14 as 2.5-point underdogs. However, FAU returned home last Saturday and got worked over by UTSA 36-10, coming nowhere near covering as 2.5-point ‘dogs as the Under (59) hit. The 10 points matched a season low in offensive production.
The 49ers picked up the 1st AAC win in school history with a 10-7 win at East Carolina in a battle of teams with a winless conference record. Despite the win, Charlotte has still cobbled together just 33 total points of offense across the past 4 outings, and it’s no surprise the Under is 4-0 in that span.
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FAU at Charlotte odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:31 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): FAU -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | Charlotte +140 (bet $100 to win $140)
- Against the spread (ATS): FAU -3.5 (-115) | Charlotte +3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 43.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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FAU at Charlotte picks and predictions
Prediction
FAU 30, Charlotte 12
Moneyline
FAU (-165) suffered a big blow early in the season when QB Casey Thompson went down with a torn ACL at Clemson. QB Daniel Richardson, the former Central Michigan recruit, has taken over and done a decent job at times. He has the accomplished WR LaJohntay Wester, who leads the AAC with 66 receptions, and a solid run game featuring RB Larry McCammon III.
Charlotte (+140) just doesn’t have the offensive horses to compete with an FAU team littered with skill position talent.
Against the spread
FAU -3.5 (-115) isn’t a bad play, although be careful with the Owls. They’ve been a bit Jekyll and Hyde this season. No one expected them to throttle USF by 42 points, but they no one expected a 26-point loss at home to UTSA, either. You never know what you’re going to get with Tom Herman’s team this season. On paper, they’re easily more skilled at nearly every spot on the field than their counterparts.
Over/Under
UNDER 43.5 (-110) is the lean, but go lightly. The last time FAU hit the road it dropped 56 points on USF in Tampa. However, Charlotte can’t get out of its own way on offense, and it has averaged just 8.3 PPG in the past 4 outings, cashing the Under in all games. FAU will have to do most of the heavy lifting to get to an Over, and the Charlotte defense is actually pretty good, keeping the 49ers in most games.
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